Andrews family’s life invariably revolves around club

WHEN it comes to saving lives on the beach, Scott Andrews has the entire family ready to help. Even his twoyear-old son, Ethan.

And while he may not be old enough to join Nippers just yet, older brother Brayden, 6, is already patrolling the beach alongside his proud father, mother – and grandfather.

It will be the keen young lifesaver’s second season as a Nipper.

“He is counting down the days until it starts,” Mr Andrews said.

“He knows it’s the first Sunday of the school holidays. He got a 100 per cent attendance award for the last season.”

Mr Andrews said his own father, Shane, started in surf life saving when he first came to the Gold Coast in the 1970s.

He soon followed suit, taking up rowing before really buckling down and climbing up the ranks as a patrol captain after university with the Surfers Paradise Surf Life Saving Club.

He is also a crew member of the Westpac Lifesaver Rescue Helicopter Service.

Mr Andrews even met his wife, Breanna, at the surf club where she worked in the office.

She has completed her bronze medallion and also patrols with the family.

Mr Andrews said the family would put on their yellow and red uniform every three weeks to go patrolling on the beach together.

“Brayden will run up to us when he sees people (outside of the flags),” he said.

“He loves using the PA system to ask them to come back in between the flags.”

Mr Andrews said people responded well to the family when they patrolled, adding Nippers was a very familyfriendly organisation.